


Judgement

by nice_girls_play



Series: The Long Road Home [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, HP: EWE, M/M, Severus Snape Lives, Sirius Black Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-05-03 01:57:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5272292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nice_girls_play/pseuds/nice_girls_play
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the guilty are sentenced (or so they think).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judgement

Severus vaguely remembers his first hearing before Barty Crouch Sr. eighteen years ago. 

He'd been sitting in the defendant's chair instead of the prisoner's booth; wearing his own shirt and jacket instead of a uniform from Azkaban or the teaching robes he wears now. Back then, Dumbledore had stood at his right, doing most of the speaking for him. 

Now he sits alone, ghosted by a small coterie of former colleagues and students, none of them requested by himself or the court. There'll be no call for character witnesses because this isn't a trial. He can hear Minerva's stoic fretting behind him, along with Granger's whispered explanations about what the hearing will entail. Harry Potter makes no sound save for the echo of several journalists' Quick-Quotes quills following his every movement. 

He wonders if their seats are as cold as his, or if it's just another spike in his erratic body temperature. 

Shacklebolt's cool baritone is more pleasant to the ear than Crouch's nasal, disinterested inflections.

“The Ministry of Magic's statute for 'internal operatives' is as follows: any person or persons assigned by the Ministry to obtain information on enemy combatants, threats to the Wizarding world both internal and external by any means necessary.”

'By any means necessary.' Those last few words hang in the air like smoke. Though that could be from the last, uninvited member of his entourage. There's no smoking allowed inside the court room, but somehow Severus doubts the Ministry will ever tell Sirius Black what to do again.

"These guidelines allow for such operatives in a time of war. Though he was eventually relieved of his post as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, this court, through its continued, tenuous sponsorship of the Order of the Phoenix, allowed Albus Dumbledore certain privileges befitting a Ministry member, including--" his speech is interrupted by a soft cough from a tight-lipped court member and further delayed by the metallic _clink_ of Black's lighter.

"--including the allowance to train and instruct operatives as he saw fit."

“It is the conclusion of this court that Severus Tobias Snape, as an internal operative trained and employed by Albus Dumbledore, acted within orders of his Ministry contact and is therefore immune from prosecution. Case dismissed.”

Kingsley shuffles his papers in lieu of a gavel and... suddenly...

“You're a free man, Snape. How's it feel?”

It smells like cigarettes.

That _can not_ be right.


End file.
